Friends First
by iluvOrlandoB996
Summary: The typical James and Lily tale.  It takes place during their 7th year.  It's just a light fluffy piece.  No flames please!
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters you recognize.**

**Chapter 1**

James said good bye to his parents and quickly stepped through the barrier to platform 9 ¾ for his seventh and last year at Hogwarts. As soon as the bright crimson train came into view, James knew this was going to be the best year yet. His intense hazel eyes grazed the platform for any sign of his three best friends Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, and Peter Pettigrew. What he found instead was a head of beautiful auburn hair that could only belong to one person, Lily Evans. Just thinking about made his heart start racing and a hand shot subconsciously to his raven black hair.

Lily, his crush for almost five years was standing right before him. James could never pin point the exact moment that he fell for her only that he did and hard. It started out as a little second year crush but somehow over the next four years it escalated to something more. Although he would never admit it to anyone, he was pretty sure that he loved her. He loved the mellowness of her voice, though it was rarely like that around him, her snappy temper, but what first caught his attention, were her eyes. Her gorgeous eyes were filled with emotion although _he_ rarely saw any emotion other than hatred. James's thoughts and daydreams were cut short by a yelling in his ear.

"OY! Lover boy! …**Prongs!** …**JAMES!**" Sirius screamed in James's ear. James snapped out of his daydream and whipped his head around. It slammed into Sirius head, who stumbled. "God Prongs! That hurt!" Sirius stated wincing slightly

"Well then don't scream in my ear!" James cried in pain, "Why were you screaming anyway?" James gripped the side of his head willing for the splitting headache to go away.

"You didn't answer me before! Plus, I saw you with that stupid smile on your face that could only mean one thing. You were daydreaming about Lily. Something had to be done!" Sirius said exasperated.

"I was not daydreaming about Lily! I was simply thinking about how good this year is going to be and about our start of the term prank." James stated in what he hoped was a nonchalant voice. Sirius narrowed his eyes at James before glancing over his shoulder.

"MOONY!" Sirius shouted right in James's ear again. James smacked him on the back of the head. "Ow! Hey Moony, how are you holding up?"

Remus raised his eyebrows slightly at the question; his faintly graying hair was slightly longer than James remembered and his face covered in more scratches. "How do you think Padfoot?" Remus tapered off sadly.

James saw the hopelessness in his friend's eyes and his heart filled with compassion. "Well, we're here now. Any thoughts on the beginning of the year prank?" James asked, trying to improve the mood.

"No, but it could be a bigger problem than we thought, because I wasn't picked for Head Boy." Remus said, not at all sad about the decision. James looked down not really wanting his friends to know that he was this year's Head Boy.

"You weren't?!" Sirius cried, "Now how the hell are we going to get away with all of our pranks?! Damn… I wonder who got picked," Sirius thought out loud.

"I did," James tried to say as quiet as possible. Sirius heard him and laughed, but when he realized James wasn't laughing with him, and his eyes practically popped out of his head.

"You were what?!" Sirius stated staring intently at James.

"I got picked for Head Boy," James said in the same quiet voice. Sirius shook his head and did a little victory dance. "Stop embarrassing yourself, Padfoot. I wonder who the Head Girl is," James stated thoughtfully.

"Isn't it obvious?" Remus stated knowingly, "What girl was a prefect last year, is always at the top of the class, and hates troublemakers such as us?" Remus said all of this staring intently at James. Then it clicked in James's head and a huge smile appeared across his face, not even trying to hide it.

"Lily," James said airily. Sharing a bathroom and a common room with Lily made this the best year ever, James thought

"Still love her, James?" Sirius asked, looking slyly at the expression on his best friend's face.

"No!" James said a little too quickly. "I was never _loved_ her! Besides, I think I am actually over her," James lied. Remus, of course, knew better than that and saw right through James's façade. Sirius, however, threw the comment aside.

"Good! So, you won't care that she is right over there, kissing her boyfriend," Remus replied. James turned around so fast, it nearly gave him whiplash. There she was, kissing her boyfriend of two years, Amos Diggory. Jealousy surged throughout James's body. His hands clenched into fists, but he knew that he could beat Diggory within an inch of his life and that would only worsen his 'relationship' with Lily. Somehow, he would have to show Lily that he could be a nice guy. 'Maybe we should just start out as friends' James thought to himself, 'but how?'


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters you recognize.**

**Chapter 2**

Lily stood impatiently by the Hogwarts Express waiting for her friends, who were late, as usual. She hated it when people were late. That meant that she had to wait that much longer. She stood tapping her foot against the pavement when she spotted a familiar face. Her boyfriend of two years, Amos Diggory, was standing about 30 feet from her, looking around. She started waving her hand in the air, to try and get his attention.

"Lily!" he shouted as he ran up to her, "It is so good to see you!"

"It is good to see you to! How was your summer? You must have been busy, because I didn't get any letters from you," she stated with a hint of disappointment in her voice.

"Oh well it was ok, but how was your trip to France? You didn't say much in your letter," he asked, quickly trying to change the subject.

"It was beautiful there," she started, "We went to the beach and…" she continued filling him in on her trip to France, until she felt a light tap on her shoulder. Lily spun around, only to find her best friend, Nicole Davis. "Nicole! How have you been? How was your summer? What did you do? Did you make anybody _special_?" Lily asked excitedly

"Whoa Lily, what's with twenty questions?" Nicole asked hugging Lily tightly "My answers are good to the first two and I'll tell you on the train to the last two. Right now, I will let you get back to your boyfriend," Nicole said winking suggestively. Lily smiled as she turned back to Amos.

"I missed you," he said quietly, leaning down and gently kissing her. Lily could fell eyes on her but at the moment she didn't care. 'Let them watch' she thought to herself, but after a few seconds she pulled back.

"I have to get to the head compartment to find out who the Head Boy is," she said turning to leave, but Amos caught her wrist.

"You're Head Girl? You never told me that!" he stated, slightly annoyed.

"Sorry, I didn't think you would care. Besides, I don't have to tell you everything!" she stated, getting slightly angry and wincing at his harshness.

"Of course I care that my girlfriend was made Head Girl!" he said, releasing her wrist. She turned around and walked fast to the Head's compartment, looking at the ground.

"Lily?" asked a quiet, yet familiar male voice. Her head shot up, already knowing to whom the voice belonged. While doing so, she closed her eyes slowly, not really wanting to confirm her thoughts.

"Potter," she said acidly, opening her eyes, "What are you doing here? This is the Head's compartment. You must be here with Remus, right?"

"Wrong, my Lily Flower. I was told to meet the Head Girl here when I got on the train," he replied with a calm voice.

"First of all, _Potter_, that is most definitely not my name. Second of all I am _not_ yours, and third of all, why would they tell you that unless you were…" Lily's eyes widened, in shock. Covering her eyes with her hands, she started wishing this was all just a terrible nightmare she would wake up from. 'Not only do I have to live a whole bloody year with frickin' James Potter, but I have to _work _with him too?!?!' she thought bitterly.

"Oh yes, my dear Lily, I, your very own James Potter, have been made Head Boy," he said egotistically while dipping into a very low bow. Lily rolled her eyes, obviously annoyed at being even closely associated with James.

"Don't even try to put your self in the same league as me, Potter," Lily said, sticking her nose high in the air, grabbing her book, and stalking over to a red fluffy chair in the corner. She read until the prefects started showing up for their meeting. _This isn't going to work. _ James thought, while watching Lily read on the other side of the compartment._ Why do I turn into a prick when I'm with her?! I have to find a way to show her I'm different…_Lily stood up and walked to the front of the compartment once all of the prefects had arrived. "Ok prefects, if you could all gather up here please…" Lily started, as the rest of the prefects sat down.

"Don't worry Lil, I can handle this meeting and you can have the next one, ok?" James whispered to Lily, "Ok," he said, not waiting for an answer. "Can I have everyone's attention? Thank you. I have your passwords and patrol instructions…"James continued like this for a half and hour before letting them go. Lily watched the entire meeting in awe, wondering when James became so responsible. After everyone one but James had left Lily went back to her book "So Lil, how was your summer?"

"Don't call me that, and don't you have friends to get back to?" she asked, still looking at her book but not reading.

"You do too don't you?" he said lazily.

"Of course I do, Potter, but I am perfectly content right here!" she said as she started to get annoyed.

"What makes you think I am not?" he asked accusingly.

"Fine, whatever, just don't talk to me," she said, returning to her book.

"Lily, since we have to work together this year, don't you think we should at least try to get along?" James suggested, trying to get Lily's attention away from her book.

"No Potter, I don't think we can get along! Are you forgetting that I hate you?! I am going to try and get through this year with as little interaction with you as possible, and I would appreciate it if you didn't get in my way. Now, could you do everyone a huge favor, and shut the hell up?!" James looked down quickly but not before Lily saw the hurt in James's soft hazel eyes. "I'm-"

"No Lily, just stop! Don't even try to apologize because it is useless to me, when I know you don't mean any of it. I don't even know why I love you! You have always been mean to me, no matter what I do! Then, I thought that I should try and show you the real me, putting all my feelings aside, so that you could at least stand to be in the same room as me, but you know what? You don't even care! I don't think I'm the only one at fault here, Lily. I give up! I give up on trying to get you to like me, I give up on making excuses to myself, and I give up on you!" With that, James turned around and left the compartment, leaving a very guilty Lily.

'God, I don't know why I even bothered with her! Forget her!' James thought to himself but he knew that even if he tried as hard as he could, he could never forget her.

'Love? Did he just say he loves…no, loved me? We are too young to even be thinking about love! He doesn't even know me!' Lily thought confused. They may be a little young, but there was no doubt in James's mind about what love is.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters you recognize.**

**Chapter Three **

James returned to his compartment in a rush. He slammed the door and sat down staring out the window, not saying anything to his fellow Marauders. His mind reeling with the last conversation he had with Lily.

"Prongs? What's up? Did something happen at the meeting?" Remus asked gently.

"I don't want to talk about it." James answered angrily.

"So what happened with Lily?" Remus questioned, trying to get to the bottom of his friend's bad mood.

"You don't know it's about her!" James said. Remus just rolled his eyes. "Forget it. It doesn't matter," James stated, not taking his eyes off the window.

"Hey!" Sirius interrupted, "You said you were over her!"

"Sirius, you have known James for over six years! You should know him a little better than that," Remus stated at his clueless friend. James stayed silent.

"Oh," Sirius said looking at James, who was still looking out the window oblivious to world around him.

Lily sat, pretending to read her Charms book, but she couldn't get James's hurt look out of her mind. His words kept going through her head like a broken record. Her conscience was starting to come into the picture, and it filled her with guilt.

'We should at least try to get along… don't even try to apologize… I give up… I love you…' She was starting to develop a headache, her head pounding with his angry words. She started thinking about the past few years. Those constant invitations to Hogsmeade from him were supposed to be some stupid prank he was playing on her! They weren't supposed to be real! All those times she turned him down because she didn't want to be just another one of his conquests, come find out now, he was serious about her. She couldn't even imagine how much it must have hurt him, even though he never showed it. With this thought, her guilt only increased. She knew she had to apologize, she just didn't know what his reaction might be. From the way he acted earlier, it might not be good, but she couldn't go long feeling the way she did now. She knew she had to do it before they got off the train, or it would never happen.

Lily got up from her chair and walked towards the compartment door. Each step she took seemed to put more and more weight on her shoulders. She slowly opened the compartment door and walked down the isle, looking in each compartment as she went. When she saw James staring out the window, his forehead pushed against the glass as his friends stared at him, her guilt only increased. She lightly knocked on the door and James didn't even look up. Sirius slid the door open and stared at her.

"What do you want, Evens?" he stated with anger clearly evident in his voice, "If I know you, and I do, you are never one to seek out a friendly conversation with us."

"I just wanted to talk to him," Lily stated quietly not taking her eyes off of James. Sirius looked over at his best friend, who had not broken eye contact with the window.

"Look Evens," Sirius stated tonelessly, "Right now isn't the best time-"

"Just leave, Padfoot," James interrupted quietly, not moving anything but his mouth. Sirius motioned for Remus and Peter to follow him. Lily moved out of the way, and the boys headed down the isle, to the other end of the train. She entered the compartment in silence and shut the door behind her. She went to the seat across from James. They sat in an uncomfortable silence until Lily couldn't take it any more.

"James, could you at least look at me?" Lily asked pleadingly. James lifted his head and turned to met her gaze unwaveringly. Lily searched his face, which was completely void of all emotion. "Thank you," she answered quietly, trying to come up with the right words to say. They sat there for a few more minutes until James spoke up.

"If you aren't going to talk, you may as well just leave," he said coldly, turning back to the window. Lily looked on at the defined features plastered on James's face. His jet black hair was lying on top of his head, looking as if it hadn't been combed in weeks, not that that was new, and his glasses rested on the bridge of his slopping nose, covering the soft hazel eyes she knew so well. Lily was staring at the boy she hated, or at least she thought she hated. He finally turned back to her. "What?" he asked in the same toneless voice he had used before. Lily's eyes shifted to the ground.

"I just wanted to say that I am sorry for what I said to you. It was unfair of me to judge you that quickly, but I think the way you have acted for the past six years was reason enough to jump to that conclusion." Lily said slowly. James just stared at her in disbelief, before speaking up.

"God Lily, I am sorry for how I acted before but that isn't reason to yell at me when I didn't do anything!" he responded almost yelling at her, "Just because I was a prat before doesn't mean that I can't change!"

"I know that but the way you acted so egotistical when I first saw you in the Head's compartment just led me to believe that you were the same as you have always been!" she yelled, starting a full blown row.

"If you just came here to yell at me, you can leave right now because I think that two different arguments on the same train ride between the head students is a pretty bad example to be setting!" James said turning back to the window. Lily huffed and left the compartment.

Sirius had just finished turning a sleeping Snape's robes into frilly, pink, lacy ones, when Lily went rushing by the compartment. Remus went out and watched her hurry into another compartment. Then Sirius, Peter, and Remus went jogging down back to their compartment to find James in the same position they had left him in.

"Hey Prongs, what's wrong with Evans? We saw her rush past Snape's compartment so fast you would think she saw Malfoy showering." Sirius said. James just continued to look out the window for a minute before he responded.

"We had another row, not that that's new," he stated, his voice void of all emotion. If his friends could have seen his eyes that would have seen the misery, sadness, hurt that Lily put there, but they couldn't. James struggled to keep his face plain and unaffected. He didn't want to let his friends know about the internal war he was having over Lily, but he had a feeling that they already did. It wasn't his fault she couldn't take the time to know him better. 'Yes it is. You did act like a prat in the Head's compartment' said the little voice in his head. James knew that he had been a complete ass to say the least, but when he was around her, he couldn't help himself. His mouth went faster than his brain, and it seamed as if he had no control.

For being the Marauders' compartment, it was unusually silent, but no one inside seemed to notice. They all had other things on their mind.

Lily entered her friends' compartment, and they all looked up.

"Lily!" they all cried at once. They all started asking questions about her summer and the Head Boy. Lily just walked into the compartment and sat down wordlessly. Everyone stopped and stared at her. She only said two words.

"James Potter." All of her friends shot glances at each other instantly understanding.


End file.
